Improvement in safety-valve tenders



UNITED STATES PATENT OErcE.

CHARLES F. BROWN, OF ASHBY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY-VALVE TENDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,587, dated October 9, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. BROWN, of Ashby, county of Middlesex, and State of M assachusetts, have invented a new and useful Safety-Valve Tender for the Boilers of Steam and other Engines 5 and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention, and Fig. 2 a vertical section of same.

This invention relates to a peculiar device for actuating the lever of a safety-valve on steam boilers, and is to be suspended by a hanger on the valve-lever between the hingejoint and safety-valve, or that part of the lever to which the spring or weights which hold the safety-valve on its seat are usually attached, and is intended as a substitute for both, and consists of an outer and inner cylinder, the inner cylinder heilig in direct coinmunication with the boiler, and having steamexit openings, through which the steam enters a space between the inner and outer cylinders. The inner cylinder has also a valve in its upper end, kept down on its seat by a screw and spi-ral spring. As the steam enters this space between the cylinders the outer cylinder will be forced down toward the boiler, and consequently the hanger will bear with equal force on the safety-valve lever 5 but when the steam in the boiler exceeds the working-pressure the valve in the upper end of the inner cylinder will be raised from its seat and the steam in the space between the cylinders will pass out at said valve-seat, in consequence ot' which the outer cylinder will ascend and the hanger relax its pressure on the safety-valve lever, giving the steam a chance to escape through the safety-valve.

Having described the nature of my invention, I will now describe its construction and operation.

In the drawings, A represents the boiler and valve-tender connection 5 B, the inner cylinder,with steam-exit openings b b, &c., through which the steam enters the space C between the cylinders.

D is a valve, which has its seat onthe top of the inner cylinder, B, and is raised from its seat (allowing the steam to escape) when the steam exceeds the working-pressure.

E is a screw which slides freely in a frame, F, attached to the inner cylinder, and carries a n ut, G, and spiral spring H, said spring abutting against said nut and frame, by means of which and the screw E the valve D is held on its seat.

I is the outer cylinder, which, with the inner cylinder, forms the space C. K is the hanger, attached to the outer cylinder by screwboltsL L, and on which the said hanger swin gs.-

The operation of my invention is as follows: As the steam from the boiler enters the inner cylinder, B, the steam will rush through the openings b b, and, entering the space C, bear against the head B of the inner cylinder, B, and also against the lower end, I', of the outer cylinder, I. Now, as the outercylinder,I, slides freely on the inner cylinder, B, it is plain to be seen that the outer cylinder will be forced down toward the boiler, and, of course, the hanger K will with equal force press the safety-valve on its seat. But when the steam in the inner cylinder, B, exceeds the workingpressure, the valve D will be raised from its seat, and the steam in the space C escaping through the larger openings b b', the pressure will be removed from the end I of the outer cylinder, when the outer cylinder will ascend and the hanger K relax its pressure on the safety-valve lever, thereby enabling the steam to escape through the safety-valve until the force of the steam again assumes the desired working-pressure, when the valve D,

the cylinder I, and hanger K will resume their former positions and close the safety-valve on the boiler, and thus the operation ot' opening the safety-Valve freely and closing the same quickly will be similar in effect to that of the engineers hand in tripping the safety-valve, rendering my safety-valve tender automatic in action, as well as simple in construction, and not liable to dcrangement.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

The valve D with its appendages, the inner cylinder, B, the frame F, the outer cylinder, I, and hanger K, or their equivalents, when in combination with the boiler and safety-valve of a steam-engine, substantially as and for the purposes set forth and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and signature.

CHARLES F. BROWN.

Witnesses:

A. NEILL, WM. H. SMITH. 

